Local Liquids: Tretap Taste Test

{Disclaimer:: We partnered together with Tretap to bring you this sponsored post. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions and thoughts expressed are entirely our own!}

Confession time: I am a hydration hypocrite.

I vigilantly promote healthy liquids for my kiddos, serving only milk and water at home. But all the while I am an unabashed soda addict. I can’t get enough of the bubbly stuff. Carbonation is a kind of magic, as far as I am concerned. I love the fizz. So I was very interested in learning more about Tretap, a Vermont company serving up a new line of low calorie/low sugar sparkling beverages made from maple water.

Tretap uses the water remaining after maple syrup production to make four flavors of carbonated drinks: Real Maple, Bright Cranberry, Wild Blueberry, and Cool Cucumber. It contains 54 antioxidants, is organic, NON-GMO and kosher certified. Tretap describes their beverages as a nutritious alternative to soda. For sweeteners, they use organic maple syrup and organic sugar.

But how does it taste?

My family received samples of all four flavors, and organized a group tasting. Incidentally, I am now adding “taste testing” to the list of surprising things my children enjoy.

First up: Real Maple.

I figured we should start with the water that started it all. Everyone was very excited by the smell. “It smells just like maple oatmeal!”

• Child A: Bubbles! It’s so sparkly!
• Child B: Um. Not so good. It isn’t sweet at all.

Mama Perspective: Both kids were right, this was a very bubbly drink and certainly not very sweet. I was expecting something sweeter, more a Vermont syrup flavor. The maple taste was subtle, and there was a strong soda water aftertaste.

Second: Cool Cucumber.

This flavor caused a great deal of excitement that maybe we could replace our dinner salad with a sparkling beverage. The children were disappointed to learn that nutrition does not work that way.

• Child A: I like it! It has a nice flavor. A little sweet, like a berry but softer.
• Child B: Tastes kind of good. At the start it’s a bit like berries, but then it gets all cucumbery.

Mama Perspective: The Cool Cucumber has a light touch. It reminded me of the fancy infused water you drink at high end spas, only carbonated. Quite refreshing.

Third: Bright Cranberry.

The smell caused a commotion. “It smells like the kind of candle you want to eat!”

• Child A: So delicious! This tastes so good!
• Child B: A little bit sour, but so sour it’s almost sweet.

Mama Perspective: This has a good balanced cranberry flavor, tart but tasty. This is a yummy summer drink. I enjoyed it so much I pulled out my cocktail glassware to experiment. I recommend it with vodka for grown-up patio refreshment.

Fourth: Wild Blueberry.

Everyone agreed that the beverage did not smell as sweet as we expected.

• Child A: It kind of tastes good, but blueberry doesn’t usually taste this sour.
• Child B: Wow! It has a little zing to it!

Mama Perspective: I don’t normally like blueberry flavored foods, but this one worked for me. It was not over-sweetened, and has a clear berry taste as opposed to a cloying blueberry pie flavor. Crisp to drink.

Which were our favorites?

1. Child A: Cucumber. It wasn’t as sour.
2. Child B: Blueberry. It has lots of zing and I just loved it.
3. Mama: Cranberry. (and not just because I added vodka. The flavor is lovely.)

We all agreed that the maple flavor was not our personal favorite, although this is a favorite for many (like Nissa on our team!). I think we were expecting a sweeter drink, something like a maple soda, while Tretap is more akin to flavored seltzer. While there are sweeteners, they do not overpower the drink. This is not a cola-type product. The flavor and sweetness are much lighter.

Bottom line: this is a beverage I would both drink myself and serve my kids. I like that it is a local company, and that they use water which might otherwise be wasted.

Consider Tretap added to the “summer treat” list! To find out where you can purchase Tretap, check out their “Where to Buy” page!

Ready to win a 12 pack to try for yourself?? Tretap is giving one of YOU a chance to win a 12 pack to try {you pick your flavor}. Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win!

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